ASIRT has cleared an officer from any wrong doing in connection to a 12 hour-standoff in January.
On January 12, at approximately 6 a.m., the Grande Prairie RCMP and Emergency Response Team attended a rural industrial property to arrest a suspect for an alleged assault on his wife and to execute a firearms search warrant.
When officers arrived, the suspect barricaded himself inside a recreational vehicle located within the shop and repeatedly refused to surrender despite negotiation efforts.
Throughout the situation, police employed a range of tactical measures, including drones, distraction devices, chemical agents, a tactical armoured vehicle and a remotely operated skid steer.
During the standoff, the suspect discharged a firearm multiple times in the direction of police officers.
After nearly 12 hours, the suspect exited the RV and moved to its side, where he gestured toward a police vehicle positioned nearby. ASIRT says officers observed him intermittently raising his hands above his head before lowering them again while holding what appeared to be a cellphone in one hand and an unidentified object in the other.
Officers noted that the suspect was carrying a large knife in a sheath attached to his waistband.
Roughly three minutes after gesturing at police, the suspect began walking around the RV, back towards the shop.
Officers discharged a projectile that appeared to strike him in the back. The suspect briefly stopped, but began walking back to the shop.
Police used a vehicle and positioned it in front of the shop, to block the suspects path.
Officers got out of the vehicle and discharged another projectile at the suspect. As the officer discharged the projectile, he slipped on the ice, resulting in the suspect being struck in the face by the projectile.
Officers moved in and took the suspect into custody.
A search was conducted and officers located a loaded .22 calibre handgun, on the suspects person. Police say the handgun was equipped with a 10 round magazine.
Officers then searched the shop and RV and located more firearms.
ASIRT says the use of force of the projectiles was proportionate, necessary, and reasonable. As a result, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence was committed.
